Jay's title bid ends in semis

By Chad Peters - Express-News

Published 12:00 am, Saturday, March 6, 2010

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Jay's Maretta Stubbs (right) and Fort Bend Hightower's Tyler Gilbert go after a rebound during the first half of their semifinal game at the Erwin Center on Friday. Stubbs scored 10 points in the loss.

Jay's Maretta Stubbs (right) and Fort Bend Hightower's Tyler Gilbert go after a rebound during the first half of their semifinal game at the Erwin Center on Friday. Stubbs scored 10 points in the loss.

Jay's title bid ends in semis

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AUSTIN — Jay point guard Destiny Amezquita went diving into the first row of the Erwin Center stands Friday night, trying desperately to salvage both a possession and a season.

That was with two minutes left, an act of unbridled desperation that was sandwiched by many other such displays as Jay trimmed a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit to three in the waning minutes of the Class 5A state semifinals.

There were unlikely 3-pointers falling, bodies flailing and a Fort Bend Hightower lead that seemed fleeting.

The effort still wasn't enough.

Unable to climb out of the 19-point hole they dug in the first half, the Mustangs fell just short of their comeback bid, losing 52-49 in the program's first trip to state and snapping a 22-game winning streak.

“We challenged our kids at halftime to come out with a little more intensity and a little more composure,” Jay coach Mike Floyd said. “We didn't play our game in the first half.”

Jay's Kiara Taylor hit a 3-pointer from the corner to cap off a 9-2 run and trim a six-point hole to three with 27.4 seconds left.

The Hurricanes went 1 for 2 at the foul line on the other end, just enough to put victory out of reach for the Mustangs.

Down four, Jay's Maretta Stubbs was fouled under the basket with two seconds remaining and made the initial free throw. Trying to intentionally miss the second in order to allow a kick-out opportunity for a tying 3-pointer, the second shot failed to draw iron.

Hightower took over possession and managed to run out the clock on the ensuing inbounds pass.

In the end, Jay's late surge was soiled by its muddled start.

The Mustangs trailed by as many as 19 points in the second quarter, a period in which they were behind by double digits the entire way. Making matters worse, Hightower hit as many threes (four) as Jay made field goals during the game's opening 10 minutes.

It wasn't until late in the third when Jay was able to start slicing into Hightower's deficit. And by then, it proved, it was too late.

Erica Donovan led Jay with 14 points, while Taylor and Stubbs added 10 apiece. Donovan is one of four starters set to return next season, but Floyd wasn't ready to talk about the future Friday night.

“Right now, it's pretty easy to look for tomorrow,” he said. “But we've still got tonight to learn and to find ourselves, and to say goodbye to our seniors.”